INSPECTION OF BOILERS.

Evening Star, Issue 3144, 18 March 1873, Page 2

INSPECTION OF BOILERS.

To the Editor,

Siu, —You have on several occasions assisted the members of the Fire Brigade by placing before the public the disadvantages under which they at one time labored. 1 have now to ask your assistance in devising some scheme whereby the lives of the members of the Fire Brigade may be placed out of jeopardy. At the late fire (Gibbs and Clayton), and also when Black and Thomson’s premises wore on lire, the members of the Fire Brigade were in great danger, in consequence of the safety-valves of the boilers on those premises not being covered over, so as to protect them from beams, joists, roof, &c., falling upon the lever of the eafrty.valve, tbus keeping the valve dosed,

so that the steam could not escape. Considerin'' the great heat that was around the boiler at Gibbs and Clayton’s, it is surprising it did not burst, and the only way I can account for it not bursting is that it was bedded in brickwork within a few indies of its top ; had it not been so I am confident it would have burst, and; there would have been loss of life. When a fireman enters a building on fire (with the bianch-pipe) he does so with confidence, knowing that men are placed to give the alarm when they see any danger, and also at a glance, he can tell which is the best way to make his escape in case of an accident; but if a boiler is on the premises on lire, not all the watching or glances of the firemen can tell when that boiler may burst, hurling death and destruction around. I have no desire to have my spirit so summarily ejected from its earthly tenement; but 1 assure you that, unless some steps are taken to inspect the boilers in this city, the ranks of the lire brigade will, one of these days, be reduced by the pressure of steam, and then the, cry will be, “poor fellows, who would have thought it?”—l am, &c., J. H. Dunedin, March 17.